This March, SXSW (The South by Southwest) in Austin, Texas, introduced a new category, SXstyle (South by Style), specializing in fashion. Often referred to as the "Paris Fashion Week of the IT world," SXSW finally has a category showcasing the future of fashion and tech. In this four-part series, FASHION HEADLINE will present insights from the PLANNING team at SIMONE INC., who joined SXstyle from Japan. ■What is SXSW? The Paris Fashion Week of the IT world, where Twitter and Pinterest have won awards. SXSW, which has been gaining attention every year, is a multi-faceted music, film, and IT event held every spring in Austin, Texas. It began in 1987 as a music event for music professionals from local live music venues to fill the off-season. In 1994, the film and IT category, "Film & Multimedia," was launched. The multimedia category then became independent in 1997, changing its name to "Interactive."

In the Interactive category, Twitter won the Interactive Award in 2007, garnering attention. Since then, SXSW has launched services like Pinterest and Foursquare, rapidly becoming popular, cementing its reputation as a "stepping stone for startups."

In recent years, the Interactive category has attracted significant attention due to the dramatic growth of award-winning services. SXSW has attracted startups, investors, venture capitalists, advertising agencies, and marketers from around the world. In 2015, 72,000 people attended, and over the five days, numerous panel sessions, workshops, live events, and parties were held throughout the city, turning the entire city into a festival. In recent years, the number of IT companies, particularly startups, has increased from Japan. In 2015, hundreds of exhibitors and attendees participated, making the event a popular choice.

Paris Fashion Week is a closed event accessible only to those with invitations from brands. Although livestreaming of runway shows has become commonplace in recent years, only a select few can share the same space as Anna Wintour. SXSW, on the other hand, is open to anyone who purchases a ticket. You can even ask questions directly to the tech mogul. Even just considering the invitations, which are readily available, the difference from the fashion industry is clear. However, tickets are still expensive, costing just under 100,000 yen even with early bird discounts. Perhaps this is what attracts even more hopeful and motivated people from around the world.

SXSW's interactive section alone hosts approximately 1,100 sessions over its five-day run. Nearly 50 sessions are held at the same time on the same day. Visitors use a dedicated app to search for programs based on keywords or categories that interest them, and then participate in the sessions and events that interest them. Perhaps SXSW participants gain completely different experiences, discoveries, and learnings, and then return to their respective locations to shape their own futures.

SXstyle was newly established this year through the efforts of Decoded Fashion, a company founded in the United States in 2007. "SXstyle" aims to be a platform that promotes the fusion of fashion and technology. This year's main themes include "wearable technology," "3D printing," and "retail technology."

This time, the SIMONE INC. PLANNING team focused their research on SXstyle from among the vast number of sessions at "SXSW."

Starting next time, we will be presenting a detailed report on "SXstyle" over three installments. Each theme hints at a future that can be realized when the fashion and technology industries work together.

>Next time, we'll be looking at What wearable technology brings to fashion.